Changing EA... but which one??

socks_uk

After people here on MSE gave me advice to change EA, I've done it today. But, now I don't know which one to go with.

I had just about made up my mind to go with Pygott & Crone who seem to be the only EA in our area with 'SOLD' boards up but I went into Halifax EA to check the status of the house we want to buy and they asked why we aren't using them. I asked them if they would try harder to sell ours if we were going to buy one they are selling and they said yes (but that was why we chose the first one and then the vendors withdrew from the market).

So... What do we do? Use a nationwide EA who happens to have the house we want for sale or a regional one with sold boards up?

Can anyone offer any advice please?

Jill

[Deleted User]

Hard decision, go with your gut instinct, which agent gave you the best impression? Also, do they have a website, because most people today do most of their searches online. Good luck!

socks_uk

Yes, Pygott & Crone have a web site and they are on 'rightmove' too (feel free to Google their web site.

I hear people (including our old EA) saying 'it's the time of year, so close to Chrismas!' but the same people said it's always quiet during summer. When the heck do people actually buy houses then?? I would be prepared to move Christmas Eve if the chance came up! (Turkey steaks on the gas BBQ for Christmas dinner if need be!)
I have seven days before being able to sign up with a new EA (part of the old EA's contract) so I need to make up my mind.

Jill

[Deleted User]

Well, if they're on rightmove, then in a way they're also nationwide KWIM? I'd be tempted to go with them, they know the area better and being independent they are more motivated. Good luck!

socks_uk

Van1971 wrote:

Well, if they're on rightmove, then in a way they're also nationwide KWIM?

Hmmm.. not sure what KWIM means. Care to enlighten me Van1971?

Jill

[Deleted User]

Sorry, it stands for 'Know What I Mean'.

meanmachine_2

From my limited experience some EAs tend to deal with lower quality properties, some top end and then you have the majority fighting for the middle.

In my neck of the woods there is quite obviously one market leader - they have signs everywhere. And they also have the most approachable/knowledgeable agents.

You can tell very quickly which ones have expertise and which employ a bunch of wide boys.

Ian_W

I asked them if they would try harder to sell ours if we were going to buy one they are selling and they said yes

Ergo, if you weren't wanting to buy one they already had on their books, they WOULDN'T try as hard to sell yours!!

Hardly inspiring confidence IMO - simply, telling you what you want to hear, or worse, less interested if 2 sales aren't involved. Personanlly would go with the others.

socks_uk

Thanks Ian W... I was going to go with Pygott & Crone before going into Halifax and I think I still will.
We went for a drive yesterday to see how many 'SOLD' boards we noticed with all the local EAs and P & G won.
Like Van said... if they're on 'Rightmove' they are also nationwide.

Jill

AndrewSmith

The general busy trend with property sales in Estate Agency goes like this:

Feb-July Busy
July-Sept V Quiet (School Holidays)
Sept-End November Busy
Dec-Mid Jan V Quite (Christmas etc)

I have about 8 years experience in Estate Agency and, without exception, every year follows the same cycle.

I would go with your gut feeling and go with the agent with the most SOLD boards up. Any agent can get FOR SALE borads all over a town by simply over-valuing property and raising false expectation with the seller as to what they can expect to get for their house. It is the one who converts those instructions to sales that you want to use. Do not feel at a disadvantage if you use a small local agent above a national corperate. having worked for both you will get no less a good service from a smaller company. In actual fact you will usually find it is a local person with good knowledge of the area who runs it. With many corperates they recruit from out of the area simply to fill a post. Do your own research and drive round and count the boards. Even try knocking the doors of sold signs and tell them you are thinking of using that agent and ask what their experience with the agent was like.

This should not jeapordise your chances for buying the one you want advertisied with the national agent. In todays market they will just be happy with a sale.

Ask how they intend to market you home ie:

Phone canvassing
Mailing list promotion
Featured property
Local press and advertorial on your home as a "new instruction"
Office Window Placement

Make sure the property is ready to be viewed at any time. Give the agent a key so that he can pop in just before and (as it's empty) open the windows and pop the heating on (if it has heating) just to air and freshen the air inside. Make sure all the light bulbs work. SOunds a small thing but if not it will ring alarm bells with any buyer.

Incentivise the agent to sell quickly for you by requesting a sliding fee scale :

sale in month 1 1.25%
sale " " 2 1.00%
after this 0.75%

Also tell them you do not wish to be locked into a contract of longer than 6-8 weeks. This means that if your house doesn't sell in the first 2 months you are free to go to another agent. After this length of time you will ususally find that the property has 'gone stale' and the agent will loose the enthusiasm to sell, especially on a sliding scale of fee.

Get the agent to regularly update photo's etc to reflect seasonal changes. (No good having snow on you photos or no leaves on trees in April!)

Ask your agent to be brutally honest with you and tell you without pulling punches what you need to do to acheive a quick sale. Once he tells you, take it on board and do it.

Estate agents are often slated, howver they do work hard when given the opportunity and incentive to do so.

If you approach an agent with these type of proposals he will respect the fact that you have done your homework and that you are serious about selling.

Don't let anyone tell you that you cannot haggle over fees, contracts etc, I have worked for agents and have used many for selling in the past and have, without exception, managed to haggle to a mutually favourable agreement every time. Those that say you can't have obviuosly never tried hard enough.

Hope this helps

Andy

socks_uk

Thank you for taking the trouble to write such a detailed reply Andrew. Many interesting points you mention.

Thanks again,

Jill